"Hello, my name is Hara," I attempted to mask the blatant shock on my face as Ikuto took the tan hand that was extended towards him. A hand that had, moments previously, been smaller than a dime. Ikuto scrutinized Hara's face, his eyes meeting hers and staying put for a while.
"I've never met you before," he muttered, turning his eyes to me. I shrugged, trying desperately to not make eye contact. He'd know I was lying instantly. Amu had yet to say anything; She was waiting impatiently to Ikuto's rear, tapping her foot loudly. Ikuto made a face. "Amu," he said, and she quickly perked up, amber eyes shining.
"Yes, Ikuto?"
"Do you mind?" Ikuto hissed, his eyes resting on her feet. That shut her up quickly, her foot ceased its tapping. Instead, she chose to nervously twine her ridiculous pink locks through her fingers, her eyes meeting mine with a hard 'cool and spicy' glare. I took this opportunity to flip her off. Hara gave me a shifty glance, and quickly attempted to draw Ikuto's attentions away from our silent feud.
"So, Ikuto," she began, releasing his hand. "How long have you and Shi-chan known each other?" she asked innocently. I flinched, the nickname striking a chord deep inside me.
"Shi-chan!" Akira's beautiful face beamed upwards in my direction, a flower held in her fingers. "Look wha-"
"Shiuta." Ikuto's voice erupted through my reverie, drawing me back to reality. "How come you never told me you had another sister?" he asked, sounding rather hurt. I was actually surprised that he had bought that. If he had really thought about it, he would have known there was no way Hara could have been my sister. What with my mother running off and all. He was clearly distracted. To add to the unbeleivability of the whole thing, there was no way in hell Hara and I looked related in the slightest, apart from our matching eyes. "Half... sister," Hara quickly, glancing shiftily at me. Amu scoffed, crossing her arms.
"If you're only 'half sisters', why are your eyes completely identical?" she retorted, coming to stand on Ikuto's other side. I rolled my eyes. Stupid pink haired bitch. Hara smiled sweetly, brushing her deep chocolate locks from her face and tucking them neatly behind her ear. "It's a hereditary birth defect from our mother's side. It's always been with the females in our family," she continued, meeting Amu's glare. "Our brother doesn't have it, because he's male." I mentally slapped myself. She really wasn't making things any better. On the contrary, she was making everything so much more complicated.
Ikuto sighed. "You have a brother, too?" he said, exasperated. "Damn, how much have you been hiding from me?" I rolled my eyes at the irony. Ikuto frowned. "Look, we've gotta go," I said tartly, glancing at my wrist. Ikuto raised an eyebrow. "Shiuta, you aren't wearing a watch..." I flushed, and glanced down at my wrist. "Ah, I guess not..." I laughed nervously, peering through my hair at Hara, who laughed.
"We really, really do need to go, actually," she said, as she raised her right arm. "I am wearing a watch. Silly me, we're already late!" she laughed, grabbing my hand. "What for?" Amu growled, her arms snaking around Ikuto's, who's eyes widened. I had to fight back a roar of anger. And punch. And probably several slaps. I couldn't wait for my next run-in with those elementary school brats.
"Ah, uh... Voice lessons," Hara replied, her eyes darting suspiciously as she did so. "Obviously," she continued, smiling as if Amu should have known all along. Ikuto wasn't falling for it. I sighed, clutching Hara's arm and tugging her in the opposite direction. "Let's just go," I said rather loudly, my heels clicking on the concrete as we speed walked away, leaving Ikuto and Hinamori Amu looking thoroughly confused.
"What the hell!" Back at the house, Hara had just come out of the hiding place she had been concealing herself in for the last hour and a half. She winced at the pitch of my voice. "What?" she called back, floating over to my spot on the couch. I glared icily.
"You know,"
"I don't." she replied resolutely.
"Don't play dumb,"
"I'm not!" At this, I thrust my hands into the air in defeat, growling loudly as I did so.
"Yes! Yes, you do!" I yelled, grabbing her and yanking her down to my level. "What the hell were you thinking? You just made up not one, no, but two! Two fake siblings! Not to mention a fake hereditary birth defect!" I continued, shaking. "Are you mentally deficient?" I spat, shaking her up and down viciously.
"Well, I don't know, do you think maybe our mother had a hereditary disorder for that, as well?" she chided, biting my finger. "Fuck!" I hissed, letting go instantly. I glared from my low position on the couch up into the air in her direction. "I am very... Upset... With you, Hara," I explained calmly, attempting to control my fit of rage. Hara simply huffed, and wandered away again. She didn't speak to me for the rest of the night.
The next morning I woke up, stretching leisurely. Glancing at the clock, I realized that I was once again late for a song recording. I sighed in anger, leaping out of bed and getting into some clothes. I'd have to wait and shower later. I darted from the house, almost closing the door on Hara's hair. I had, once again, decided to leave Akira behind. She was becoming more and more upset with me every day.
I stared blankly at the lyrics I had written as the taxi drove towards Easter, and I fingered the hem of my little black dress I had chosen to wear that day. I furrowed my eyebrows- I had recently bought this, and already a hole was beginning to form. I tied my thick flaming hair up in a bun, which I wore to the side. It sat in the slope from my neck to my shoulder, the smooth-looking wad of hair sending little shivers over my skin whenever a loose hair brushed the back of my neck.
"You're late, again," Utau said as soon as I entered the building. I smiled. "Good morning, Utau," She smirked back, but did not return my greeting. I raced up to the recording studio, where Sanjo-san was tapping her foot impatiently. My mind instantly flashed a picture of Amu, which made me want to slap something. Sanjo-san didn't even glance my way as she instructed the people recording to set up while I got situated.
"You have finished those lyrics, I trust?" she asked, her arms crossed. I nodded quickly, not wanting her to go off on a lecture. "Well, get in there, we don't have all day," she snapped. I glared, but followed her orders. That woman seriously needed to get laid. I set my papers down in front of me, and placed the headset over my ears. Sanjo-san gave me the signal, and began to play the tune we had worked on earlier this week. As the music began, Ikuto entered the room, causing me to blush feverishly. I parted my lips, sucking in a quick breath before I began.
"Geranium kisser," As I began singing, images of Akira and I frolicking through the field down the street from our old home filled my mind, lulling me into a gentle trance.
"Skin like silk and face like glass,
Don't confront me with my failures.
Kiss me with your mouth open,
For your love, better than wine." Memories flooded my conscious mind. Ikuto and I were sitting next to one another, sun setting, my soccer bag facing our backs. My flaming hair moved slightly with the breeze.
"For your cologne is really fragrant.
Call on me, call on me, call on me..."
"Your hair is like an eagle,
Your two eyes are like two doves." Of course the first image that came to mind were Ikuto's cerulean orbs. As I recalled the image repeatedly, I found my mind at ease. I was back where I belonged. To who I belonged.
"But our bed is like a failure,
All day up in the family.
At the waning of the light,
To the chamber that conceived me.
Call on me, call on me, call on me..."
"Geranium killer,
Throat of soil of and mind like stone." My mind conjured up images of that one fight. The pain, and only the pain. I could remember the horrible look in his eyes as I had stabbed him.
"Please don't defend a silver lining
Around the halo of what is already shining.
When all the planets are aligning," I took a breath, pulling my fingers through some stray hairs, which were tickling the skin on my neck. I smiled serenely.
"For an afternoon that's never ending.
Call on me, call on me, call on me..." Finishing, I opened the lids of my eyes, light from the room pouring into them. My eyes met Ikuto's, and at that moment, I don't think I had ever as sure as I was then. I was in love.
Song is Two Doves by The Dirty Projectors